If you’re sailing the East Blue, you might want to steer clear of Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy)’s fist. The young pirate knows how to take a swing and his punch really goes the distance — literally.

In ONE PIECE, Luffy and his gang sail on the hunt for treasure, outpacing their rivals and an army of Marines. It’s not an easy journey, but with a captain like Luffy, anything is possible. Who exactly is this exuberant pirate who’s quickly making a big name for himself throughout the ocean? Here’s everything you need to know about Luffy and his extraordinary powers.

Who is Monkey D. Luffy?

As the captain of the Straw Hats, Luffy is on a quest to find the mysterious One Piece treasure. The prized possession once belonged to infamous pirate Gold Roger (Michael Dorman), but now that he’s been executed, Luffy has a chance at becoming the next King of the Pirates. He recruits a crew of misfits to join him onboard, including swordsman Roronoa Zoro (Mackenyu), thief and mapmaker Nami (Emily Rudd), storyteller Usopp (Jacob Romero), and sous chef Sanji (Taz Skylar).

Known for his signature straw hat and elastic limbs, Luffy always remains optimistic no matter the danger he encounters. With a pure heart, he easily wins over his crew’s loyalty — and often drives his rivals crazy. “He is a super cheerful guy, full of joy,” Iñaki Godoy told Netflix during production. “He is a great friend and he will fight for you and your dreams. He also loves to eat a lot, especially meat. That’s something that we share in common — we both love to eat a lot.”

What are Luffy’s powers?

Luffy’s superpower is his ability to stretch his limbs — and we’re not talking about yoga. Made of rubber, his arms and legs give him an advantage in any fight. Whether he’s kicking through brick buildings or propelling himself into his opponents like a slingshot, you don’t want to be on his bad side. 

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How did Luffy get his powers?

Luffy gained his stretching abilities when, as a young boy, he ate the Gum-Gum fruit. In the ONE PIECE world, there are several mystical fruits called Devil Fruits. If consumed, the eater will gain different sets of abilities and powers. The Gum-Gum fruit in particular turns your body into rubber — but it also takes away your ability to swim.

During a flashback scene in Episode 2, we see a young Luffy hanging with the Red Hair Pirates on their ship. He asks Shanks (Peter Gadiot) if he can join their crew, but the captain won’t let him because he’s far too young. Upset by the rejection, Luffy wanders into a room and discovers a mysterious box containing the Gum-Gum fruit. As any curious little boy would do, Luffy devours it in big bites. “These abilities help him in his daily life, whether it is to eat or fight. Being a rubber man has a lot of cool things,” Godoy said during production.

ONE PIECE is a live-action pirate adventure created in partnership with Shueisha and produced by Tomorrow Studios and Netflix. Matt Owens and Steven Maeda are writers, executive producers, and showrunners. Eiichiro Oda, Marty Adelstein, and Becky Clements also executive produce.

Stream ONE PIECE on Netflix now.